Broken
by Angel of the Night Watchers
Summary: Spoilers for season 4. AU fic. Don helps Lindsey cope after Danny leaves her. The problem is Danny walked out on someone else. This is a story about second chances, broken hearts and moving on. Rating for mature themes, possible minor cursing later.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is an alternative storyline to what took place between episodes 4x11 through 4x13 inspired by my ex-boyfriend and I's recent break-up. This is a Flack/Lindsay story and does contain slight spoilers for season 4. I'm writing this under the assumption that the audience has seen 4x11 "Child's Play". This story is also a little AU. Some of the things mentioned in here haven't actually happened in the show. This is because I do not own CSI: NY or CBS and the views expressed here are not theirs or their affiliates. That being said: enjoy!

She felt broken inside, as if the light of her soul had been extinguished, not slowly or kindly, but harshly and quickly. Looking at her, you would never know how she felt. Her face was stoic and her life was only mildly disrupted. She went to work as if nothing ever happened. She had a perfect mask on, letting no one know the hurt that was inside. She was really thankful that thus far her pregnancy had been easy to hide, no one on the team knew she was expecting a child. Her morning sickness was miraculously restricted to once not long after she woke up. Cravings were mild and not yet out of the ordinary for her normal appetite. Being barely three months along helped her keep her mask in place. Everyone on the team thought she was fine, a little under the weather maybe or tired from the demands of life, but they thought she was fine.

Everyone except Don Flack, that is. He saw through her mask. He saw the broken heart inside of her. It was only right he saw through the mask since he'd been in love with her since the day he saw her at the zoo, but his best friend had loved her too. So, being a "good" friend, he let Danny have her. Stupid mistake on his part, look at what Danny had done to her. He couldn't understand how his friend could do something so stupid to her, but he knew that he had, so he was determined to fix Danny's mistake. The problem Don had was going to be convincing Lindsay that she needed him and that it was okay to drop her mask around him.

Knocking on her apartment door with purpose, he called out her name and announced that it was him. Silently he prayed she would answer the door and actually let him come in. By some miracle, she did, looked him up and down and asked him what he was doing at her door after they both were off shift.

It was the moment he'd rehearsed all day at work. Don Flack was a man who liked to be prepared and so all day at work he had practiced what he was going to say, gone over every possible reaction from her and remembered every conversation they'd had. He treasured those conversations deep inside his heart and from them analyzed her personality, predicted how she'd react to him. However nothing could help him remember what he'd rehearsed as he took in the broken woman before him. Her normally bright and clear brown eyes were slightly red rimmed. Her normally immaculate curls were mussed as if she'd been laying down. Her normally ironed neat work clothes had been traded for a pair of rumpled gray track pants and a faded pink t-shirt. Her voice was crackly and soft, missing it's normal cheer and sparkle. Some small part of him rejoiced in the fact that he knew her well enough to be correct in his assessment of her emotional state. The rest of him was breaking inside to see her this bad and ready to run after Danny and beat the snot out of him.

"I've brought food, movies and company. Need any of it?", Don finally managed to ask nonchalantly, as if there was no hidden motive for his visit to her door.

Lindsay looked at him suspiciously for a second and he thought she might send him away. Instead she smiled half-heartedly and opened the door wider to let him in. "That had better be good food and my favorite movie.", she teased him.

"I bring you orange chicken, egg rolls, steamed rice and General Tso's chicken, just like you like it. There's even enough for two. As for the movie, what other movie would I bring you other than Top Gun.", he replied.

She then bestowed upon him the first real smile she'd given in weeks. Wide, toothy and charming, it reached her eyes. His insides flip-flopped to see it. 'Good Lord,' he thought, 'This woman has me head over heels for her.' Not that he didn't already know that, it was just he'd found another reason for it. She could smile even when her world had crashed down around her.

"Thank you." she said quietly, so quietly he almost missed it, as she pulled water bottles out of the fridge.

He nodded and smiled in response. Quickly but quietly, he set the food out on the coffee table, while she set the DVD up. They ate the same way enjoying the move and the company, but not feeling the need to talk. Don was glad they had that kind of friendship, where constant conversation wasn't necessary because they had a good idea what the other was thinking.

As the movie ended, she said, "I know why you're here."

Adopting the same impassive face he used with suspects, he looked at her and said, "Do you now?"

"You want to make sure I'm really okay. I'm acting like I am and you don't buy it. You're mad at Danny for leaving because you think he's let a good thing go.", she said, the mask falling from her face completely and the pieces of her heart and soul laying naked and beautiful before him.

He smiled wanly, "You've got me all figured out dontcha?"

"Mostly. I've had a lot of time to think and observe.", she replied matter of factly. His insides did another flip-flop, as he thought about her watching him. He liked the idea of her watching him and thinking about him.

"Well, I know Danny gave up a great thing when he left you and I know you're not doing fine. You're hurt and broken inside even though you're hiding it.", he said trying to hold back from openly declaring his feeling for her.

"Did he tell you why he left?", she asked a tear rolling down her cheek.

"No. Just that he left.", he said scooting closer to her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"He said that he could no longer meet my needs. I was family material and he said he wasn't. I told him if he walked out on me he was walking out on his child. Then you know what he did, Donnie? He ran. He didn't walk. He ran. Today he sent me an email saying that he couldn't be a father that he'd just screw up their life like he had his, Reuben's and Rikki's. Said that I was better off without some no-good gangsta's son." she said, tears now running down her face, with more current than the Hudson.

"OH Linny," was all he said as he pulled her on to his lap and let her cry into his chest, while he stroked her hair.

After her tears subsided he realized she had fallen asleep on his lap. 'Probably the first good sleep she's gotten in days.' he mused. Quickly deciding to let her sleep for however long that may be, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall into her bedroom. When he realized she was holding on to him and not letting go he just decided to lay down next to her, glad that during the movie he'd taken off his suit jacket and tie.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered. "If you weren't asleep, I wouldn't say this but, I love you Linny."

A/N: I update quicker with reviews! I also would love to hear from readers. Private messages and emails will be read and I will respond.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ok here's chapter 2. Again, I do not own CSI:NY or any of these characters. The views expressed in here are my own and not those of CBS or it's affiliates.

The next morning Flack woke up before Lindsay did, his bladder informing him he needed to get up that moment. Flack made the decision to call in sick to work after double checking that today was Lindsay's day off. He was grateful that she was organized enough to keep her work schedule written on a huge calendar on the fridge door. He started pulling out the ingredients to make a pot of coffee when he realized that pregnant women couldn't drink coffee, so instead he pulled out an apple and hoped Hawkes was right about it being able to wake you up as effectively as coffee.

Just then Flack heard Lindsey get up and move to the bathroom. 'Apparently she does have morning sickness.' he thought. Without saying a word, he went to the bathroom, knelt down next to her and held back her hair as she retched into the toilet. After Lindsay was finished and had gargled both water and mouth wash she looked at him and said, "Thanks you didn't have to do that though."

He smiled. "I know but I'm always her for you Linny. Anything you need, I'm here for you. Food, company, a ride, a shoulder, an ear, whatever it is, I'm your man."

Lindsay wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. " Don Flack you are the best friend in the whole world.. I don't know what I'd do without you."

" I think you'd be bored and hungry.", he said cheekily, referring to the many times they had hung out for dinner and a movie or pool game before, during and now after her relationship with Danny.

"You!"

"Me."

"You are cheeky."

He smiled at her, "When you're ready Linny, I'm going to wine and dine you until you agree to marry me. I'm not going to rush you but I'm not going to let you get away again either."

Lindsay was quiet for a second and for that entire second Don thought he'd overstepped his bounds with her. "I don't think I'm quite ready to talk relationships yet Donnie, but I do like the idea of exploring one step at a time."

Don let out a sight of relief. "Good. Now being serious for a second, do you need any help with Peanut? Ride to Doctor's appointments or anything else? Is there anything I can do to help you?"  
He looked so eager to help and so willing to do whatever she asked Lindsay couldn't turn him down. "I have a doctors appointment today at 2 pm. If we stop by your apartment to let you change can you go with me? I'm kinda scared to go by myself."

He pulled her into another hug and just held on to her this time. "Of course I can. You are never alone. The team is behind you on this one. This baby will be the most loved baby in the world. Peanut here has the love of the best in the NYPD."

"That's true. Stella will probably see this as another excuse to shop. Hawkes will see a mind to train. Mac will see a child to protect and mentor. Sid will see a sense of humor to warp and listening ear to tell stories. Adam will see hands to train to video games." she paused then and looked into Don's blue eyes, "And you, you'll have a child to pour all your love into."

Don grinned and placed one of her hands lovingly over her stomach. "I already love their mother, it's an easy task to love them just as much. Even if you only ever let me be their Uncle Flack, I'll still love them with everything I have."

A/N: I'm a review craver. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here ya go! It's a brand new chapter, I know it's short but when I get back from spring break I'll post a longer chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and hits, I really appreciate it.

A week later:

Flack walked into the precinct with a smile on his face, Lindsey had let him go to her dr's appointment. She'd also been letting him come over at night and spend time with her. It turns out they both needed the time together. Flack found that just being around Lindsay helped him unwind after a hard day. Lindsay found that it was easier to cope with Danny being gone and all the stress from work when Flack just watched t v while she cleaned.

Over at the lab Lindsay was processing clothes, wallets, and purses from a multiple homicide with Stella. A small smile played on her face as she thought about how wonderful Flack had been lately. He was so excited about the baby and the pictures from her ultrasound, you would think he was the father. Flack was also one of the few homicide detectives not giving the CSI's a hard time about not having results as quickly. Between the multiple homicide and Danny being out indefinitely, they were horribly behind. Today Mac had decided to put Adam out in the field and given some of the techs authorization for overtime.

"What's up Linds? You're smiling for the first time in weeks." said Stella, looking up from the shirt she was processing.

Lindsay looked up, surprised that Stella had said something, there was so much to process and they were all so tired, she had hoped that Stella wouldn't notice. Then again, Stella was a CSI and noticed everything. Lindsay thought about dismissing it completely but realized that Stella was her friend, and wouldn't say anything. "Well, you know how Danny's been out of my life for like two months now, Flacks come over a lot recently. He's been helping out."

Stella studied Lindsay then. She'd known that Danny leaving had really hurt Lindsay but she didn't think she'd need any extraordinary help. Then a thought hit Stella and she decided to test the waters a little. "That's good. He's a good man. He'd make any woman happy."

Lindsay blinked at Stella. "Stell, did he tell you? I mean how did you know?"  
It was Stella's turn to look surprised, she hadn't expected Lindsay to cave that quickly.

"He'd mentioned that he'd been spending more time with you, that's all. Nothing else, why? Is there something I should know about?"

"Well.. Can it stay between us for now?"

Stella stopped working and came over to Lindsay's side of the table. "Sure, Linds. Anything you say is between us. I'll even keep it from Mac."

"I'm three months pregnant. I've been getting morning sick lately, and just really tired. Flacks been helping with that. He takes me to my doctors appointments.", Lindsay took a deep, steadying breath, "Today when we got the ultrasound pictures, he was so excited. You'd have thought he was the father. He even asked me if he could keep a copy in his wallet!"

Stella couldn't hold her surprise in. "Lindsay, wow! You're going to be a mom! We'll have to go shopping, oh you're going to be such a great mom!"

Lindsay just nodded. "Linds, it's going to be alright. Yes, Danny, was an ass for leaving you but, you know, God's going to work this out. I think he already has in the form of Detective Don Flack, Jr. The man's loved you since he set eyes on you, even if he didn't want to admit it just yet. He'll do right by you and then some."

Lindsay smiled, "Thanks Stell, I just hope I can be right for him someday. We're taking it one very small baby step at a time."

Stella gave her a hug. "You need anything, just call me. I'll drop everything."

"Actually, I do need some new clothes, the one's I'm wearing are a bit too tight. How about shopping on Friday? Make Flack pay for lunch before shift starts?"

Stella grinned, "I know this great place that'll make him give us a hard time about spending all his money."

Lindsay laughed, "Sounds good to me, now I think I may have gotten us a clue, look at this trace on these pants. It doesn't match anything else at the scene, I'm thinking it's the killers."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and hits on the story thus far. It's very encouraging. If anyone has any opinions on the sex of the baby or if we should have any surprise multiples, let me know and I will take it into consideration. I would love the opinions of my readers.

Two weeks later:

Lindsay walked into the crime scene, already surveying it with a critical professional eye. It was early in the morning, as she'd been called in before her shift started to help out with the overload of cases the lab was attempting to cope with. Mac had told her it was a homicide and that was about all. Which is why she was completely shocked when an ever familiar voice called out, "Mornin' Montana! Glad you finally showed up."

Lindsay narrowed her eyes as she stared at Danny Messer, who was currently kneeling by the body of a young Caucasian female and opted to go with the professional mode. "What'd we got Messer?"

If Danny had heard the cold professionalism in his voice, he didn't acknowledge it at all. "So far looks like the normal mugging gone south. Two females, multiple stab wounds to the chest, purse missing a wallet. No ID." He offered her is usual trade mark grin. Lindsay didn't bother to return it.

"You get pictures already?" asked Lindsay, already getting her camera ready.

"Just of the body. Mac told me you weren't doing bodies for awhile. What's up with that?" asked Danny, standing up from where he'd been kneeling by the bodies.

Lindsay narrowed her eyes at him, before going about taking pictures of the scene. "As if you didn't know."

Danny looked at her with disbelief, "If I knew, I wouldn't be askin' now, would I Montana. What's wrong?"

Lindsay didn't answer him, she just continued to move about the scene, taking pictures. Danny just looked at her, unwilling to accept that she was not giving him an answer, and unable to come up with a reasonable explanation in his mind, of why she wasn't capable of working all aspects of the crime scene. After Lindsay had finished taking pictures and had set the camera down next to her case, Danny grabbed Lindsay's wrist.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" said Lindsay angrily, her brown eyes flashing dangerously as she attempted to pull her wrist out of his hands.

"Why won't you give me an answer?" asked Danny, his voice low and cold, a clear indication that he was unhappy.

Lindsay continued to struggle with him, but Danny wouldn't let go, he wanted his answer, "I told you already and you didn't care then, why would you care now?"

"Montana, I have no idea what ya talkin' bout!" said Danny his accent getting thicker as his voice got colder and laced with more frustration.

"Let go of me! And quit calling me Montana!" replied Lindsay loudly, she was almost yelling at Danny, and some of the patrol officers were starting to glance in their direction every now and again. What neither of them knew was that Det. Angell had told the officers if there was any hassle between Danny and Lindsay, while she went to canvass for witness, that they were to call Mac immediately. As it would happen, the officers had and since Mac was at a scene with Stella not far from Danny and Lindsay's, he'd come over and walked up at that moment.

"What is going on here?" asked Mac in a commanding, clearly unpleased voice.

Hearing Mac's voice, Danny immediately let go of Lindsay, and she acting off her emotions, took two steps back and began rubbing circles over her belly, the feel of the soft cotton shirt calmly her little. "I asked a simple question Mac and she won't give me an answer."

"And that's reason to hold onto her against her will, instead of doing your job?", replied Mac, raising an eyebrow, and staring at Danny. The message was clearly sent: Mac was not happy with Danny and wasn't buying that he was innocent in all this.

"He wanted to know why I can't work on bodies for awhile." interjected Lindsay, tersely.

"Why can't you? Ya look fine to me! I mean two weeks ago, ya were doing everything just fine, like normal. I come back and all the sudden I gotta do the majority of the work! I ain't connecting all the dots here!" said Danny, just as terse, crossing his arms across his chest and spreading his feet out in his patented Messer "I'm here to do battle" way.

" How dare you!" shouted Lindsay, "How dare you, demand answers out of me, like I owe it to you. Let's get one thing straight Messer, you lost your right to do that when you ran out on me. Don't you dare stand there and act like you don't know the reason."

Taking a deep breath, Lindsay looked at Mac and in a softer tone said, "Mac, I think I need to take a small break."

Mac looked at her and studied her body language, trying to determine if it was to pull herself together or if something was wrong with the baby. Almost as if reading his mind, "We're fine. I just need to a little time to pull it together."

Mac nodded his head, "Stella should be almost done at our scene. Why don't you go with her and help process the evidence. I'll stay here and finish up with Danny."

Lindsay let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Mac, I will."

Picking up her kit, while still keeping a hand resting on her belly, Lindsay walked out of the scene, her head still reeling_. How could Danny ask her that?_ Everyone at the lab knew now she was pregnant, it was part of the stress at work. Because of her pregnancy, she couldn't handle certain aspects of her job. It was putting the more and more behind on the cases. She'd told him she was pregnant! It was what made him run out on her.

Back at the Lab, about an hour later:

Stella looked across the table at Lindsay and hesitated over what she was about to say, "I hear you had an interesting scene."

Lindsay looked up from the purse she was processing, "Not really, mugging gone bad, at least that's first blush theory."

Stella shook her head, obviously, Lindsay was either dense or choosing to avoid the issue. "That's not what I was talking about. I know Mac didn't send you over to my scene because he thought I needed help. We had a single homicide, with a confession. You had a double homicide."

Lindsay set the purse down and sighed, then sat down on the lab stool. "Danny was there. I tried really hard to be professional but he wouldn't be. He kept calling me Montana. He asked me why I wouldn't take the bodies, when I didn't answer he grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go. He only let go because Mac made him."

If Stella was shocked by anything Lindsay, she didn't say anything. Lindsay took advantage of Stella's rare silence to vent some of her feelings. " I was so scared Stella, scared enough it came out as anger. He's never grabbed my wrist like that, and he was really rough about it. It's already bruising. Flack's going to want an explanation and I don't know what I'm going to tell him."

As if knowing he was being talked about, Flack walked into the room just then, "Tell who what?"

Lindsay turned around and looked at him in wide-eyed fear, "That um...

A/N: Cliffhanger! Don't you just hate those? Well, as usual, let me know what you think. I don't own anything, CBS does.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own anything, CBS does. I was shocked at the number of reviews and so quickly! I'm honored y'all, so I decided to hurry up and write another chapter. **(** And because class was really boring today) So, let me know what y'all think about this chapter.

Brown eyes meeting blue eyes, Lindsay just continued to gape at Flack, clearly ill at ease and unsure what to say to him. Flack looked at Lindsay with a confidant but gentle gaze, as if trying to tell her silently to take her time he would wait for her. Stella watched the interaction between the two of them and decided that it might be a good idea to give them alone time. After all the chemistry between the two of them obviously did not need any nudging from her.

"I'm going to go check with Adam and see if the trace samples are done.", said Stella, standing up and walking towards the door. As she breezed past Flack, she whispered, "Be patient. Don't yell."

Flack raised an black eyebrow and gave Stella a quizzical look but said nothing.

After Stella shut the door quietly, Lindsay took a deep breath and looked at Flack with a small amount of trepidation in her eyes.

"Linny, I'm not going to bite. You don't need to be afraid of me."

Lindsay refused to meet his eyes after he said that. Worried, Flack took ahold of her wrists lovingly, and was further alarmed when she visibly flinched at his touch. Acting on instinct he pushed up the sleeves of her lab coat. Fire flashed in his steely blue eyes as he saw the bruising forming around her wrists, the rainbow of colors in stark contrast to her pale normally unblemished skin.

"Lindsay, how did this happen?," asked Flack calmly with definite anger in his voice, as he gently pulled her up and into a hug, not carrying if they were in a glass enclose lab and everyone could see.

Quietly, Lindsay told him exactly what happened that morning with Danny. By the end, Lindsay was crying, not the torrential downpour he'd become accustomed to but more a slight trickle from each eye, and Flack was ready to beat Danny to a bloody pulp. No one treated a woman like that, especially his Lindsay. She may not be officially his, but he took care of her and loved her, that was enough to bring the wrath of Flack on anyone who dared hurt Lindsay.

"Does Mac know?" asked Flack, his voice tight and his emotions barely under control, as evidenced by the tightness of his muscles and the rigidness of his stance.

"No, he just saw Danny yelling at me. I didn't tell him about the bruising.", replied Lindsay, softly, as Flack gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You should Linny. Mac needs to know. Danny can't treat you like that . Would you like me to go with you?", asked Flack, trying to keep his anger under control and be loving and strong for Lindsay.

Lindsay shook her head as she stepped out of his embrace, "Thank you for offering but I need to do this on my own."

Flack nodded his assent, " Well I really just came up here to see if you needed anything because I'm on lunch break."

Lindsay smiled at him, eyes full of teasing, "Well if you're offering, can you bring back some ginger ale and a couple things of Easy Mac or macaroni cheese? I'm not picky about brand or anything. I'm just really craving cheesy pasta right now."

"Sure, Linny, anything for you.", said Flack, giving her a huge smile. For a moment Flack was sure she was going to kiss him, still he wasn't at all disappointed when she hugged him and walked out to find Mac.

As soon as she'd left, Flack set his jaw firmly and stalked off to find Messer. It was way past time they had a heart to heart.

A little while later

Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out of Mac's office. It'd gone a lot better than she thought it would. Mac had listened calmly, said he would talk to Danny and try to limit the number of cases they had to work together.

Seeing a plastic sack on her desk, Lindsay took a detour from her trek to the lab, to step into her office. Sitting down at her desk, she took the note of the plastic sack and read silently to herself:

_Dearest Linny,_

_Enjoy your mac and cheese. It's from a place I know that's off the beaten path._

_Let me take you there sometime? _

_Enjoy your day, beautiful. See ya tonight_

_Love, Det. Flack_

Lindsay laughed softly to herself, only Flack would get so into his work as to sign a flirtatious note, "Det. Flack." It was very sweet of him to leave a note. Judging by the smell, she was going to enjoy the mac and cheese. Lindsay decided to stay in her office, taking advantage of the comfy desk chair she had and clean desk to prop her feet up.

After she'd finished her lunch, Lindsay walked back to the trace lab, but before she got there Danny stopped her.

"Monroe, can I talk to ya a sec?", asked Danny his stance clearly indicating he was agitated and ready to run at a moment's notice.

Lindsay looked at him cautiously but nodded, laying a protective hand on her belly. Doing so, Danny saw her bruised wrists and looked even more panicked.

" I did that didn't I?", asked Danny in a strained tone.

"What are you referring to?", asked Lindsay hesitantly.

Danny gestured loosely to her belly. Lindsay narrowed her eyes, "You were there. Don't you remember?"

Danny was getting progressively more jumpy, tapping his fingers against his legs, bouncing up and down on his feet and that was really grating on Lindsay's nerves. Shaking his head, Danny hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I won't give you any more trouble 'bout anything. Gotta go."

Lindsay just shook her head as Danny practically ran to the AV lab.

Late that night, Lindsay's apartment

Flack smiled to himself, as he took in the moment. Lindsay had fallen asleep about halfway through the 10 o'clock news and her head had fallen against his shoulder, brown hair falling down onto his chest. The smell of her coconut shampoo was slightly distracting to him. Her shallow breathing clearly showing, she was not waking up anytime soon. After the day she'd had, Flack didn't expect her to either. Lindsay said Danny had finally come and apologized, and left her alone ever since. Apparently a lecture from an angry boss and a homicide detective did the trick.

Flashback:

Flack glared at Danny, blue meeting blue, from across the break room table, "Let's get one thing straight Messer, Lindsay ain't a play thing of yours. She's a woman with emotions and those emotions are very on edge now that she's pregnant. So if you can't be nice, leave her alone. And if you ever hurt her again, I will beat you so bad, there won't be a body for Mac to hide, we clear?"

Danny looked torn between anger, hurt and shock that his best friend had suddenly taken his ex-girlfriend's side. Although, after the conversation he'd just had with Mac, he wasn't about to rock any more boats. He needed to keep this job, especially if Lindsay demanded child support. He may not want to be around the kid but he would legally be bound to pay for it. Opting to just keep his mouth shut, Danny just nodded, probably a smart move considering before Flack had started talking he'd punched Danny enough to leave a bruise on his arm. He called it an "eye for an eye"

End Flashback

What really made Flack's day though, was Lindsay had agreed to go on a date with him next Friday. He couldn't believe his luck, finally everything was falling into place. He must've done something right.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think, next up: the date!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the delay, the end of the semester and the demands of work kept me busy for a while.

Per usual, I do not own anything related to CSI:NY.

Sitting across the table from Lindsay, in the cozy Italian restaurant his Tia Flora owned and named after herself was a dream come true. It was a way of connecting two of the most important women in his life, his aunt and the woman he wanted to marry. Tia Flora was his mother's sister and since her death, Tia Flora had stepped into her shoes. Tia Flora was a petite woman with a fiery spirit to make up for it, but she had a soft spot for her nephews, especially Flack or Donnie-boy, as she called him. Understanding the police officer's work, she was always ready with a nice meal, a hug and a listening ear after a hard day at the precinct. Flack came by Tia Flora's often, but he'd never brought a woman with him until tonight. Judging by Lindsay's reaction, Flack had made the right decision to bring her there. She let a small moan after tasting the first bite of ravioli, smothered in a flavorful tomato sauce and enjoyed the rest of it just as much. Lindsay equally enjoyed the garden salad with Italian dressing and warm breadsticks, topped with butter, garlic and parmesan cheese that came with it. She also stole two bites of Flack's chicken parmasagna and had trouble deciding which she liked better.

The young blonde waitress came over then carrying a large clear bag that held several take out boxes. "Tia Flora wanted me to give this to you. She can't leave the kitchen because we're so busy. She said, and I quote, 'Tell my charming nephew the food is for his lovely lady, whom he better bring back soon so I can get to know her better."

Flack blushed a little, "Thanks Angie. Tell Tia Flora Thanks and I'll call her tomorrow."

"I will.", said Angie, setting the bag on the floor next to his chair and then walking away. Angie was a little amused, she'd worked there for years and was familiar with all of Tia's nephews. She'd never seen Flack blush like that and never seen him with a woman but, from what she'd observed and heard from Tia Flora, Flack was serious about this woman.

"Your aunt is very generous." remarked Lindsay, after noting the amount of food in the bag, she couldn't tell what was in the styrofoam containers but the smell was heavenly. If she had to guess, she'd say fetuccini alfredo, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, breadsticks and cannolis.

"She is, especially to those she likes.", said Flack, giving Lindsay a wink.

" Well, I'm glad she seems to like me, this is the best food I've ever had." said Lindsay, "Would you like to come over for a movie? I've got Guinness, your favorite."

Flack grinned, "Sure, that sounds great. You know I'd never turn down a Guinness."

That plan being decided upon, the happy couple left for Lindsay's apartment. When they arrived, Flack looked for a movie for them to watch, while Lindsay put the food away. She was ecstatic to find out that she had been correct in her hypothesis about what was in the take out boxes.

"Donnie! She gave us cannolis!" , exclaimed Lindsay, after opening the last box.

"They're the best in town," replied Flack, "How do you feel about watching 'Elizabeth' with Cate Blanchett?"

"Sounds great.", said Lindsay, walking back in the living room, carrying the cannolis and Flack's Guinness with her.

They sat on the couch, Flack's right arm holding Lindsay close to his side. In silence, they watched the movie and snacked on the delicious cannolis. By the end of the movie, Lindsay had fallen asleep, resting her head on his shoulder. Flack found it amusing, if it had been any other woman under any other circumstance, he might have been offended that his company was that dull. However, Flack knew that pregnancy was making Lindsay a little tired now and it was no hardship for her to fall asleep at night. So, he gently carried her to her room, laid her on her bed and tossed a blanket over her. Then, he tiptoed out of the room to tidy up the living room. Just before he locked up and left, he wrote her a note.

_Linny,_

_What an awesome date! I hope that you sleep well and have sweet dreams. I will see you in the morning._

_Love,_

_Don_

Flack locked the door and whistled as he walked down the hallway and all the way back to his own apartment. It had been a wonderful night.

A/N: Well, let me know what you think, good and bad. This was a tough chapter to write for me, so I'd love some constructive criticism. I will try to post another chapter soon. I have lots of ideas and oh so little time! -Angel


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I was so excited to see the reaction to Tia Flora, my original character. We will see more of her in later chapters. For now I'm afraid I'm going to have to add a little more drama because I would like to give Flack and Lindsay's relationship more depth. Let me know what you think, good or bad. If anyone has any ideas for later chapters, feel free to share them.

I do not own anything relating to CSI:NY. Tia Flora is my creation.

One Month later:

It had been exactly a month since Flack and Lindsay's date at Tia Flora's. Since that date, the couple had went there frequently for lunch or supper, sometimes ordering take out and sometimes eating in. Tia Flora nearly always joined them for a few minutes and had taken a shine to Lindsay. Lindsay had become like a daughter to Tia Flora, who'd had no kids of her own, and only had nephews. Tia Flora enjoyed spending time with Lindsay, and would visit Lindsay occasionally when she could offering a listening ear and supportive presence. Lindsay was very grateful for all the support she could get. Work was stressful at best, new policy for pregnant officers from the commissioner further limited what Lindsay could now do. Mac had been forced to issue her new lead free bullets and bullet proof vest specially made for expecting officers, as well as restrict her to the AV lab and paperwork. The team still bounced ideas off her and she was still a great asset to the lab, but she missed the other aspects of her job. As if that was not enough, she was limited to only 36 hours a week, and she was required to take regular breaks to ensure she did not over exert herself or suffer too much stress. The stress Lindsay was under however, was not from her work, but her some of her coworkers. At five months along, Lindsay was visibly pregnant. Her petite figure could not hide the baby bump any longer, and the maternity work clothes she could find showed off her pregnancy figure, nicely but prominently. The gossip mill was running rampant, wondering who's child was it, why Danny was avoiding her like the plague and why Flack was suddenly more and more around her and not Danny, his supposed best friend. Some days, like today, Lindsay just sat in the dark AV room and cried, usually unnoticed but not today.

Adam quietly entered the AV lab, with an evidence box containing copies of all the hard drives, flash drives, and cds seized in a recent case. Mac wanted it analyzed as quickly possible as it was most of the evidence they had to go on. He'd sent Adam to work with Lindsay on it. Adam hadn't expected to find Lindsay slumped over the the keyboard, head in her hands, crying her eyes out.

"Ah..Lindsay..is everything okay?" stuttered Adam, feeling very uncomfortable and having no idea how to handle the situation.

Lindsay just shook her head, not able to form any words. She was so embarrassed to have Adam find her crying but she couldn't seem to stop. Adam stood for a few seconds, trying to decide the best course of action. Should he comfort Lindsay or leave well enough alone? There was something going between Flack and Lindsay and he had no desire to get on that Detective's black list. On the other hand, Lindsay had been nothing but kindness to Adam from the first day he'd arrived. Stella! Stella would know what to do.

Adam set the box on the floor and stepped outside to text Stella.

_Need you in AV lab ASAP. -Adam_

Back in her office, Stella pulled out her phone and looked at it with curiosity. She'd just sent Adam down there with the evidence a minute ago, what could he possibly have gotten for them in such a short time. He shouldn't have even had time to unpack all of it yet. A nagging feeling told Stella she should just go down there anyway, she owed Adam one and he didn't bother any of the CSI's unnecessarily. In fact, he was just downright nervous around most of them, except Hawkes. They seemed to bond over a love of knowledge that none of the other team members had. With her typical confident stride, Stella reached the AV lab quickly, breezing past everyone else in the hallway. Adam was waiting outside the door for her.

"Adam, got your text message, what's up?", asked Stella, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she waited for his answer.

"I went to go through the evidence with Lindsay like you said, but when I got here I found her bawling in front of the computer. She won't say what's wrong and I thought that maybe you could, uh, handle it because you're, uh, um, a..a woman and all." said Adam, blushing a little, under Stella's intense gaze.

Stella frowned a little, "Yeah, I'll go talk to her, why don't you go grab a box of tissues and a water bottle for her?"

Adam nodded eager to be out of the situation, "Yes ma'am, I'll get right on it."

Stella chuckled to herself, as Adam scurried down the hallway in search of the requested items. He was such a sweet guy, but like most guys had absolutely no idea how to handle women's emotions, especially in the delicate form of a pregnancy.

"Hey, Linds." said Stella quietly as she came into the room and took in the heart twisting scene in front of her. Lindsay was wiping her eyes, with some force attempting to abate the flow of tears with little luck. Her champagne colored blouse stained from her tears, her makeup smudged and smeared to give evidence to her lack of sleep, her eyes red-rimmed and made prominent by black rings of mascara.

Lindsay managed to croak, "Hey Stell."

" You scared Adam a little bit." commented Stella, dryly as she grabbed another chair and sat facing Lindsay.

"I figured he'd go get you or Donnie.", replied Lindsay, her tears slowing a little more.

"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Stella, concerned about why Lindsay would cry this hard in the middle of a fairly decent shift, as far as shifts went.

" I overheard Dalia and Monica talking in the lab today. The gossip has officially gotten worse than ever. They're saying Danny left me because I seduced Flack and slept with him. They said I probably even slept with Mac, which is why I've been getting to stay in the AV lab and take all the long lunch breaks, while the techs do the majority of the work. Monica went so far as to say I can't even be sure who fathered my baby, if it's really a baby and not a pillow." said Lindsay, choking on most of the words.

Stella's eyes narrowed, and she felt her blood start to boil as her temper began to surface, but she kept her voice calm as she spoke, "Linds, don't pay attention to those two vapid self-absorbed women. Everyone knows that you are person of outstanding character and that there's no truth in anything they've said."

"I know it's true and the team knows it's true, Stell. But how is that going to look when Stanton and Gerrard hear about it, or the press? This lab doesn't need anymore negative publicity and these kinds of rumors always seem to find there way around.", said Lindsay, finally stopping the tears.

"Don't you worry. I'll take care of everything. You won't hear a thing like this again. Okay?"

"Thanks, Stell. I really appreciate it." said Lindsay. A tired smile half-lit her face as she looked at her friend.

Stella smiled back at her friend, "No problem. Adam should be coming back soon. If you need anything, I should be in trace the rest of the day. So just call."

Lindsay nodded, "I'm off in a few hours anyway."

"Good. Watch a girly movie and eat lots of Ben and Jerry's for me."  
Lindsay laughed at that as Stella walked out the door and Adam walked in, giving Lindsay the water bottle and tissue box.

"Thanks Adam, now lets start on this evidence."

Stella was in what Danny had dubbed her 'massacre' mood. It was a mood reserved for times of utmost anger and not a pretty situation for those on the receiving end, in this case the two lab techs, who had viciously seen fit to start false rumors about Lindsay. Dahlia and Monica were in the trace lab with Kendall,working on trace from two of the cases in progress. Stella actually liked Kendall, she was intelligent and a hard worker, with a wicked sense of humor. Stella thought she might actually make a good CSI someday if she ever took the test.

Stella opened the door to the trace lab with so much force the techs were startled and almost shattered the test tubes they were handling. Fear crept into their eyes as they stared at Stella, standing in the middle of the open doorway, arms crossed across her chest, in a stance that clearly indicated anger from head to toe. She was so anger she was trembling slightly, in an effort to keep her composure. Kendall looked up and then went back to work. She was not surprised to see Stella here, she knew about the false statements and knew that something like this would happen.

"I'm only going to say this once so you'd better listen carefully." began Stella, her teeth clenching, " Detective Monroe is of upstanding moral character. She does not sleep around. She does not and did not cheat on Detective Messer during their relationship. Any assignment she may given is due entirely to her merits as a CSI and her pregnancy. Detectives Taylor and Flack are both upstanding officers. Do you agree with that?"

Dahlia and Monica nodded, afraid to disagree at that moment. "So would you care to explain why you said otherwise earlier?"

Monica simply looked at the floor, ashamed to be caught in her gossiping. Dahlia, a little bolder was not so ashamed about it. "Even you have to admit Det. Bonasera, it's suspicious. Det. Messer and Monroe were dating, then they have a bad split. She's knocked up and Det. Flack is spending all his time with her and she's getting the lightest work load possible, extreme even for a pregnant woman."

"And it didn't once occur to you that maybe you should check your facts? That maybe it's not your business what happened? That maybe Det. Messer is entirely to blame for the split? That maybe Det. Flack had nothing to do with it and is simply doing the right thing? Or maybe Det. Taylor is following policy and nothing more?" said Stella, near yelling at this point.

"That wouldn't seem possible to me. Det. Messer is too much of a catch to let go and besides, they're all men, they'll follow any easy woman." sneered Dahlia.

Stella walked up and stood inches in front of Dahlia. "You listen good. Det. Flack had nothing to do with the break up, the blame is entirely on Det. Messer's door. Det. Taylor will not break his policy of not sleeping with employees. Det. Monroe's pregnancy is entirely real and you could very well harm the baby by putting this stress on her. If I hear one more peep about any of them from anyone in this lab, not even God will be able to find your bodies. Do I make myself clear?"

Dahlia narrowed her eyes, and nodded. Monica looked about ready to wet her pants, she was so scared of Stella.

"Good. I expect to hear about an apology to Det. Monroe as well. Make it quick and sincere." said Stella, before turning and stalking out the door, slamming it behind her.

Kendall shook her head at the expressions on her colleagues faces, "You know she's right. Don't bother asking me to go to lunch with y'all anymore, I won't go. You should be thankful you still have a job. Det. Monroe could have filed a harassment suit and if I remember correctly you already have two strikes don't you Dahlia?"

With that, Kendall followed Stella's path out the door to give Mac the results she'd found. Dahlia and Monica just stared at the door, as if it was going to tell them the answers they needed.

A/N: Whew! One chapter done. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. I have started Chap. 8 and hopefully will get it up soon. The semester is winding down and so I will have more time to write.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So since I'm feeling extra ambitious I decided to try and write this chapter so soon after posting Chap.7. For those of you who read my other story Perfect Day, I will be attempting to update that one next. As always, reviews and suggestions are welcome. I love to hear what my readers want to see.

Per usual, I don't own CSI:NY

Chapter 8

Lindsay lay on her side, enjoying the comfort of her suede couch and Shakespeare in Love . If she wasn't pregnant she probably would have consumed a carton of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey but, being pregnant and all, she was trying to eat a little more healthy than usual. Today had really been a beast and she was so glad tomorrow was a day off to get a sonogram done. She needed the break from the lab. As the credits of the movie began rolling, Lindsay yawned and sat up. Time for bed, apparently. Turning the t.v off, Lindsay straightened the pillows and began walking down the hallway to her bedroom. Hearing the door to the apartment open she turned around to see Flack letting himself in with the key she'd given him.

With a smile, she walked towards him and stepped into his waiting arms for a hug. "Hello there Det. How was your day at work?"

Flack stroked her hair lightly, "I think I'd rather hear about yours. I know I shouldn't come by this late because you're probably tired and heading to bed but, I heard some disturbing rumors today and wanted to make sure you're alright."

Lindsay stiffened and pulled back from him to look up at his face, "You talked to Stella."

Flack grinned, "Actually I looked at Adam. I was just going to ask about some results but he was a little nervous and started babbling about Stella ripping some lab techs a new one."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, "That was my second guess. It's not the big a deal Donnie. It's been handled."

Flack gave Lindsay a sober look, "Lindsay, it's a big deal if it makes you break down at work. Stress isn't good for the baby, which I know you know. If someone's bothering you- you need to let Mac know. NYPD has a no tolerance policy on harassment and slander ya know."

"I know Donnie, I know. I don't want the extra attention okay? I just want to do my job and have this baby.", said Lindsay, frustration creeping into her voice.

"Hey, hey, easy there. I'm not picking a fight tonight. I just wanted to check on you, k? Do you still want me to come with you to your sonogram appointment tomorrow?", asked Flack.

"Yeah. I do.", said Lindsay, "It's at 9:30, so you're going to have to get up and around."

"Oh don't worry, I'll be here at 8:00. Now you go to bed, I'll lock up and see myself out. Sleep well Linny.", said Flack affectionately.

"I will. Be safe. I'll see you tomorrow.", replied Lindsay, kissing him on the cheek before walking down the hallway to her bedroom, feeling better already.

The next day-

As he'd said, Flack was at Lindsay's apartment at 8:00 am, ready to take her to her appointment. Lindsay, on the other hand, was just getting out of the shower and not quite with it yet. She'd been feeling a little queasy when she'd first got up, but it had quickly passed. Mostly, she was just wishing she could rest a little more. Flack noticed this and commented that maybe she should rest when they got home. Lindsay just grunted and told him to sit on the couch and watch the morning news until she was ready, which just made Flack smile. He was having fun watching her mood swings, until she started fussing at him for being here to early in the morning.

"But you told me last week you wanted me here at 8:00, if you wanted me here later why didn't you tell me last night?", asked Flack, confused as to what he'd done wrong.

"Because I didn't think about it last night, I was tired and stressed.", replied Lindsay, frustrated.

"Well I'm sorry I can't read your mind. Lindsay, if we don't hurry up we're going to miss your appointment." said Flack, as calmly as he could.

"I KNOW! I'm hurrying as fast as I can.", yelled Lindsay from her bedroom.

Flack just sighed and sat on the couch. He loved Lindsay, but some mornings he couldn't wait for her to quit being pregnant. Her stomach was tender as the baby grew, the baby moved around all the time which could occasionally be uncomfortable and her ankles were starting to swell at times. This was not conducive to a happy Lindsay. Finally, after another ten minutes, Lindsay was ready to go and they were able to make it to the sonogram appointment on time.

Flack sat in the waiting room, flipping aimlessly through a magazine, waiting for Lindsay to come out. He thought it should be soon, they'd taken her back about twenty minutes ago. Sure enough, a beaming Lindsay walked into the waiting room carrying a manilla envelope. Flack stood up and met her halfway.

"Well?", asked Flack expectantly.

"It's a girl! A healthy girl. My calculations were a bit off, I'm actually about 24 weeks along. So I'm almost done with the second trimester already.", replied Lindsay, full of smiles.

"That's great!", said Flack, giving her a hug.

"And before you ask, yes you can have a picture for your wallet. Can we stop by the lab so I can talk to Stella and Mac?", asked Lindsay.

"Sure thing." replied Flack, leading her out the door.

A/N: I know it's kind of an abrupt ending and a shorter chapter, but let me know what you think anyway. :)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on an update. I'm suffering from writer's block and losing motivation in writing this story, which is okay because there is only about two chapters left. I still don't own anything you recognize. This is my story and my views, not CBS'.

Chapter 9

32 weeks

It was a windy September day, making the temperature seem chillier than it actually was. Lindsay was thirty two weeks pregnant, and quite ready to not be pregnant any more. She couldn't see her feet anymore, her ankles were swollen, and she felt tired all the time. Mac and Stella were being very understanding about her needs at work, which was making that easier. They'd agreed that she would start taking maternity leave when she hit the thirty-six week mark. Flack was being as wonderful as ever, taking her on a date every Friday night, and spending a good deal of time with her the rest of the week. Lindsay was well on her way to falling deeply in love with him, and could not imagine how she'd ever managed her life without him.

Today the lab was going to give her a baby shower. The whole thing was Stella's doing, of course. Since Stella had no family of her own, she was taking to Lindsay's baby already. When Lindsay had told her that she was just going to go buy her own baby things, Stella had adamantly told her she could buy nothing until she'd had a baby shower. Lindsay had given in with grace, a grin and happy tears. As soon as Lindsay walked into Stella's apartment, she was wondering about why exactly she'd done that.

The whole apartment was covered in pink and white decorations. Most of the decorations were very girly, ribbon monstrosities that centered around the theme 'it's a girl'. Gift bags and wrapped boxes completely covered Stella's coffee table, spilling over onto the floor around it. A few of the detectives they worked with were there, as well as some of the lab techs. Hawkes and Stella were there, and even Sid could be seen in the corner. Flack came from the kitchen to stand next to Lindsay and said, "Hey there. Mac just called. He said he'll try to stop by later."

Lindsay smiled and replied, "If he doesn't, I can always swing by the lab."

Stella took charge then, and being the consummate hostess, ushered Lindsay to the middle seat of the couch and thrust a water bottle in Lindsay's hand. "Alright Lindsay, we can't wait to see what you've got, so lets open presents first and then we can play some games. Make sure you smile, there's lots of cameras running around here!"

Lindsay giggled at her friend's enthusiasm, while silently hoping this didn't take too long, she really really wanted a nice long nap. Lindsay happened to be in luck, several of the guests got called back in to work, when there was a major break in a case. After opening her presents, she played a baby food tasting game, and then Stella had to leave, so the party was shut down. Lindsay was grateful for the effort Stella put forth, and also for the gifts she'd received. She now had clothes for the first year of her baby's life, as well as plenty of diapers, toys, bottles, and other necessities. All she really needed to get was a crib, which was not something she was looking forward to, as she hadn't even thought about which one she wanted or how to get it into her apartment. Oh well, she still had eight weeks to figure that out.

36 weeks along

It'd been exactly a month since her baby shower, and now Lindsay was heading back to her apartment after finishing her last shift before she went on maternity leave. She was a little worried, Flack had been acting odd all day, as had Danny. Lindsay shoved that thought out of her mind, as she wanted to get a good night's sleep so she could go crib shopping tomorrow. Hawkes and Adam had painted and put up the border in the guest room, which was becoming the baby's room. All that was left to complete it was a crib. Mac had given her a rocking chair, and her parents had sent her a dresser/changing table. Yesterday, she'd put away all the baby's clothes and toys and packed a bag for her and the baby just in case she went into labor early.

With a sigh, she went to open her apartment door, and was surprised when it swung open before she could put her key in the lock. Flack was standing there with an apprehensive look on his face.

"Hey Linny, you're home early," greeted Flack, quietly.

Lindsay smiled, "Mac let me go early. What are you doing here Donnie?"

Flack, still looking nervous, replied, "It might be easier if you let me show you, just promise not to get angry with me okay?"

Lindsay looked at Flack with suspicion, but knowing she could trust him, nodded and said, "Okay."

Flack gently took her hand and led her down the hall to the baby's room, where Lindsay saw Danny laying a mattress in the most beautiful oak crib she'd ever seen. The crib had a light finish on it, bringing out the honey color, and delicately carved bars on either side, so that the baby couldn't fall out.

Danny rubbed the back of his head nervously and cleared his throat. "Hey Linds, I, ah, felt bad about being such a jerk lately. Thought the least I could do was get a crib for ya. Its sturdy, and ya can take down the sides and use it as a toddler bed."

Lindsay felt tears well up in her eyes at Danny's thoughtful gesture, and then grimaced when she felt a gripping pain ripple through her pelvis and lower back. She sucked in a breath, and both men in the room looked at her in a panic. Flack recovered first, and said, "Linny? Are you alright?"

Before she could answer another pain rippled through her, followed by a rush of water down her legs. "Uh..Flack, I think she's in labor," replied Danny, looking at the puddle in the floor in horror.

Flack snapped into Detective mode with relative ease, "Danny call a bus, she's early." Danny rushed to do that, while Flack helped Lindsay to the couch and grabbed the bags Lindsay had picked. As soon as Danny got off the phone with dispatch, he sent out a mass text to Stella, Mac, Hawkes and Adam. They'd disseminate the information to the rest of the appropriate people. He was pretty sure that Stella or Mac had Lindsay's family's contact information and would be able to get in touch with them. By the time he got done with that, there was an urgent knocking on the door, "EMS!"

Danny opened the door, and motioned to the living room, while saying, "She's on the couch."

The next few minutes went by in a blur, and before Danny knew it, Lindsay was on a stretcher and Flack was tossing him a key. "I'm going with her, lock up Dan"

Danny just nodded dumbly, as Flack followed the stretcher, and wondered if maybe he'd made a mistake kicking Lindsay and their baby out of his life.

Later that night....

Danny sat in the bar, sipping a Guiness, and attempting to drown his sorrows as usual. In the middle of the Giants game, his phone chirped at him, indicating he had a text message. Opening it up, he saw a picture with a text message. "Alice Claire Monroe born at 8:30 pm Oct. 11. 6 lbs. Mom and baby healthy and happy." It was from Stella. Looking at the picture, Danny felt happy about one thing, at least the baby looked just Lindsay. That was something.


	10. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and following this story, it means a lot to me. This will be the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY.

Epilogue

February 11th, Four Months After Lindsay Gave Birth

Lindsay was sitting at her computer in the apartment, humming softly to herself as she waited for her fiancé to get home. Flack had proposed to her as soon as she'd been released from the hospital. She'd convinced him to move in last weekend, since their wedding was on the 21st and his lease was up.

Hearing Alice whimper on the baby monitor, Lindsay softly padded down the hallway to the nursery. She picked up Alice and held her close, cooing softly to her. As she paced the nursery, trying to get Alice to go back to sleep, Lindsay heard Flack come in the apartment. Something told her that there was something wrong, a mother's intuition as it were.

Gently, Lindsay laid Alice back down, and then she shut the door, before joining Flack in the living room. He was sitting on the couch, his face in his hands. Lindsay had never seen him so broken before. Quietly, she sat down next to him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his temple. She didn't say a word, knowing that when he was ready, Flack would talk to her.

"Linny, something happened today," said Flack quietly, after just sitting there for ten minutes or so.

Lindsay was surprised at how depressed he sounded and knew that whatever had happened was very bad. She continued to rub circles on his back, and replied gently, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Flack hesitated for a moment and then said flatly, "Danny and I were at a scene today. It was a pretty simple mugging gone bad. Danny was doing his thing with the body and I was talking to a witness a few yards away. Out of nowhere these guys came up and just opened fire." Flack's voice cracked, and Lindsay wasn't sure he was going to be able to continue to tell her what happened next, though she was already pretty sure what he was going to tell her. "Lindsay, Danny took three in the chest. One of my guys got one in the shoulder, but he still managed to get a few shots off. We caught the guys, of course, but Lindsay, Danny's dead."

Flack wiped his eyes, trying to stop the tears that were leaking out at the thought of his best friend, lying dead on the cold asphalt, while Lindsay just stared at him, trying to soak in the information he'd just given her. Danny was dead.

Eighteen Years Later...

Alice Flack looked at her parents in shock. She'd always wondered why her eyes were a blue-green, when her mom had brown eyes, and her dad had icy blue-gray eyes. Despite, the wonder, she'd never questioned them about it. She knew that her parents loved her and her three siblings. She'd never lacked for love, support or anything else that she needed. Now, they were sitting in front of her, sipping coke at their favorite diner and telling her that Dad, was actually not her biological father. Her real father, Danny Messer, had died when she was four months old, and so when her mom had married the man she considered Dad, he'd adopted her.

"So why are you only telling me this now? And why did you get married so quickly after my biological father died?" asked Alice incredulously, "Do Donnie, Aidan, and Emmett know?"

Alice frustratedly pulled her light brown hair back behind her ears, and stared at her parents. She really loved her siblings, regardless of how much blood they shared, but she didn't want their feelings hurt or for them to treat her any differently. They were the best brothers she could ask for. Donnie and Aidan were the spitting images of their father, and had just turned 17 years old. Emmett had just turned 16 years old. By some twisted fate, all four of the Flack children shared the same birthday.

Flack broke his daughter out her reverie by saying, "Allie, baby, we didn't want you to grow up feeling any different. You are my daughter, even if I didn't contribute to your DNA, I'll always see you as a most beloved daughter."

Lindsay picked it up from there, "Allie, Danny was going through a very hard time in his life when I found out I was pregnant with you. When he couldn't be there for me, Don was. We've never told your siblings, we'll leave that to you. Now that you're eighteen, you are to receive your inheritance. Danny left everything he had to you."

Lindsay slid a letter across the table to her daughter and said, "This is from Danny and should explain more to you."

Alice nodded but didn't say a thing as she picked up the letter and put it in her purse. Flack recognized that his daughter was just overwhelmed with information and probably couldn't handle any more. Turning to his wife he said, "Linny, why don't we head home and have a family movie night tonight. We can order some pizzas and let the kids pick out a movie. Allie, take as much time as you need to absorb this. Any time you want to talk the door is open."

Alice nodded, and just followed her parents out the door, and into the car. That night, her brothers, never one to let their sisters mood get them down, picked out three romantic comedies and spent the night making their dear "Allie-bear" laugh. Flack and Lindsay were happy to see the family having such a good time, it made them feel younger than their forty plus years. Later that night, Alice laid in her bed, and opened the letter her mother had given her in the diner.

_My Dearest Alice,_

_I'm writing this letter because as I'm sure your parents will tell you, I am quite the danger junkie. I've got lots of enemies and in a line of work, where there's an increased risk of dying young. I don't want you to doubt that I love you. Some day, I hope I'll get my life straightened out and be able to be a good dad for ya, but I may not get that chance. If I don't, I'm leaving everything to you, it's not much, but I've got about $10,000 in savings and of course the sweetest motorcycle ever made. In the mean time, Don Flack is the best man I've ever known. He's loved you since before you were born kid, and he'll be the best dad a kid could ever hope for. Forgive me for not being better for ya, and don't be too angry with your parents for not telling you anything sooner, that was my fault. _

_Your father,_

_Danny Messer_

Alice felt a few tears escape her eyes as she finished reading the letter, and hoped that wherever Danny Messer was, it was a better place. Now, all she had to do was convince her parents that driving a motorcycle in New York City was safety conscience behavior.


End file.
